Hey guys need some advice. I'm wanting to make a pumpkin ale using a brewers best kit. I know they make a pumpkin porter but i'm not a porter fan, so what would make a great base kit for making my pumpkin ale ..i need some advice here.

I will have to keep that recipe in mind, however the dme bill looks to be a bit pricey to me. In my area dme is going for about 5.99 a pound but the rest looks like it would work, but i have decided to go with the midwest supplies pumpkin ale kit for the time being. May give this recipe a try down the road and replace all the dme with 6.6 lbs of amber lme.

Most commercial examples of pumpkin ales are just amber ales with pumpkin pie spices, sometimes with a tad more crystal 60 just to get that "orange" color instead of amber. Most commerical examples also don't even have pumpkin in them at all.

I make a pumpkin every year, and I'll tell you that adding the actual pumpkin doesn't really add flavor, just a certain mouthfeel from the proteins and sugars you mash out of the pumpkin. I've even heard of people doing "pumpkin" ales with squash, yams, or sweet potatoes and coming out with practically the same results.

That said, find a good amber ale recipe, add about 60 oz of pumpkin to the mash (to the steeping grains if you are extract), then add about 2-3 tablespoons of pumpkin pie spice from the grocery store for every 5 gallons. Voila, Pumpkin Ale!

Topher, I'm taking your advice and using an AHS amber kit and will add some canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spices to the mix. I'll probably do this the end of August so it will be ready in time for the fall holidays. Halloween/Thanksgiving. Hope it turns out well, pete

I think some victory/buiscuit some light crystal and small amount of dark crystal.And vienna malt. I like the lighter ones but stronger myself.Im a fan of Shipyards smashed pumpkin also. That one is made with pale ale,wheat,and light munich. Its also 9% abv. So..

Most commercial examples of pumpkin ales are just amber ales with pumpkin pie spices, sometimes with a tad more crystal 60 just to get that "orange" color instead of amber. Most commerical examples also don't even have pumpkin in them at all.

so....here is my issue. i don't like pumpkin or pumpkin pie. i do however enjoy flavored ales and have had a local microbrew pumpkin ale that was quite good. I think shipyard is somewhat bland as well. i will say this...while the brewmaster at the bar won't disclose any hints...i do taste more cinnamon and nutmeg in their stuff than shipyard so the difference might not be in the fruit...it appears to my tastes that it is in the finish (and hops because all beers at this bar are more hoppy than what i taste commerically)

so...i am not sure about what recipe to follow....just a ale with pumpkin pie spices or actually putting the fruit in it. so...has anyone made virtually the same recipe with the fruit and without the fruit and tasted the difference?